Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis has issued some important advice to households ahead of Royal Mail stamp changes which are due to come into effect.
In a major shake-up, aiming to boost security, stamps with the the Queen's head and '1st' or '2nd' class written on them will no longer be usable as of next year.
The stamps will be scrapped after January 31 2023 - this includes seasonal ones such as Christmas stamps, The Mirror reports.
The only exception is ‘special' commemorative stamps, such as the Doctor Who collection, as these will continue to work until after that date.
Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert, said: “For years, every time stamps go up in price I’ve suggested people stock up and bulk-buy in advance; as provided the stamp doesn’t have a price on it and instead just says the postage class, it's still valid after the hike.
"This has been an effective tactic, as a first class letter stamp is now 85p - a decade ago it was just 60p.
“So this change will come as a shock to the many stamp hoarders out there. It’s the first time I can remember you’ve not been able to just lick it and stick it.
"And we don’t yet know if you’ll still be able to swap the stamps after March 2023, so this is a call to arms (or tongues) to ensure you either use ‘em or swap ‘em.”
The good news is that Royal Mail will let you ‘swap out’ any stamps that are due to expire for free.
You will be able to exchange current stamps for barcoded ones for free under the new 'Swap Out' scheme, which opens on March 31, 2022 and will run until March 31, 2023.
This can be done via a 'Swap Out' form on the Royal Mail website and you’ll then have to post the no longer valid stamps back.
The changes are coming as Royal Mail wants to mvove on to a new barcode system, thought to be more secure, which stamps currently in circulation don't have on them.
Royal Mail says the barcode on the new stamps will provide “additional security features” that will support its efforts to improve the safety of the post it handles.
Each barcode will have a "digital twin" that can be connected using the Royal Mail app, although the barcodes will not allow users to track their post.
Non-barcoded stamps have already begun to be phased out. Post Offices and shops that sell stamps will receive stocks of barcoded ones over the next few months.
Each retailer will continue to sell their existing stamps until their last remaining batch runs out.
Forms will be available via a variety of channels, including local Customer Service Points; the Royal Mail website and via our Customer Experience team. Customers will be able to use a Freepost address. Further details will be announced shortly.
A Royal Mail statement online said: "Definitive stamps are the stamps that will be very familiar to most people. They feature the profile of HM The Queen.
"The barcodes match the stamp colour and sit alongside the main body of the stamp, separated by a simulated perforation line.
"The new barcode is an integral part of the stamp and must remain intact for the stamp to be valid."
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